The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada is a light infantry battalion of the Canadian Army, founded on 31 January 1862. The regiment was raised by six Scottish chieftains from Montreal volunteer militiamen, and its formation was a reaction to the rise of American military strength during the American Civil War. Thousands of Canadian citizens served in the Black Watch, which crushed Irish uprisings in Canada and fought in World War I and World War II, before becoming a reserve battalion. The regiment's 1st Battalion was infamous for its heavy losses during World War II; several of its troops were killed by an accidental grenade explosion onboard their transport ship during the 1942 Dieppe Raid, only 15 of 325 battalion troops survived the Battle of Verrieres Ridge, and all four company commanders were killed at the Battle of the Scheldt (during which one company was reduced from 90 men to just 4).